ABSTRACT.
The concept of pseudo chronic disease and articial chronic diseases were first coined by Hahnemann which makes homoeopathy unique among the medical streams.
Pseudo chronic disease is the disease of modern world where we are living in a world of pollution of broad spectrum, addictions of innumerable addictable agents, modern living style devoid of adequate exercise , indulgence adequately in sugar & sodium rich diets, developing a habit of emphasising on junk, chemical based food stuff, occupational problem & even many more, the list goes endless.
These above causes contribute largely in the growing population diseases like obesity , diabetis , hypertension, low bone mineral density (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis) among the adult mass.
We are today living on the top of the volcano of the health problem in the form of lifestyle disorders, this pseudo chronic disease related or life style related problems can be better tackled with homoeopathy through its holistic approach .
INTRODUCTION
PSEUDO CHRONIC DISEASE, WHAT IT IS:- Pseudo chronic diseases are inappropriately named true chronic disease, defned as –
The unhealthy state of body and mind affected from external stimuli or environment or internal stimuli, for short or long period and disappear spontaneously under the appropriate mode without the administration of specific drug stimulus. In certain specific level both pharmacological and surgical intervention are required not only to overcome the problem but also to arrest the consequential effects.
77-APHORISM–ANALYSIS Organon of Medicine:-What it conveys:- (Pseudo chronic diseases)
“Those diseases are Inappropriately named puedochronic disease in which persons incur who expose themselves continually to avoidable noxious influences, who are in the habit of indulging in injurious liquors or ailments, are addicted to dissipation of many kinds which undermine the health, who undergo prolonged abstinence from things that are necessary for the support of life, who reside in unhealthy localities, especially marshy districts, who are housed in cellars or other confined dwelling, who are deprived of exercise or of open air, who ruin their health by overexertion of body or mind, who live in a constant state of worry.
These states of ill health, which persons bring upon themselves, disappear spontaneously, provided no chronic miasm lurks in the body, under an improved mode of living, and they cannot be called chronic disease”. They are rather puedochronic diseases.
TRUE CHRONIC & PSEUDO CHRONIC DISESASE:-
Aphorism “78” Organon of Medicine, states :
“The true natural chronic diseases are those that arise from a chronic miasm, which when left to themselves, and unchecked by the employment of those remedies that are specific for them, always go on increasing and growing worse not withstanding the best mental and corporeal regimen, and torment the patient to the end of his life with over aggravated sufferings.
These are the most numerous and greatest scourges of human race, for the most robust constitution, the best regulated mode of living and the most vigorous energy of the vital force are insufcient for their eradication.”
Chronic diseases:-
These are caused by chronic miasms and can be characterised by slow and gradual onset with imperceptible beginning with a long course of prodromal period and deranges the minutest structures but never takes suddenly the life of the patient.
True chronic diseases are of three types – Psora, Syphilis and Sycosis.
The sole pathological process of Psora is due to derangement in functional sphere of the human body (functional pathology).
The sole and basic pathological process of Syphilis is due to “underutilisation of micronutrients”.
Deformation→ Destruction and lastly demise & failure.
The sole and basic pathological process of Sycosis is due to over utilisation of micronutrients”.
Whereas In Sycosis, the pathological sequence
is overutilization.
→accumulation → deposition → localisation →rapid cell duplication
→irregular cell duplication → irreversible pathological condition and lastly FAILURE. WhilePseudo chronic diseases arise in persons due to whom –Expose themselves continually to avoidable
noxious inuences, – It included hazards like working in smoking areas/bars in industrially polluted areas in chemical factories producing toxic products, nuclear power reactors.
Ex. –Lung diseases, Asbestosis – Asbestos minor, Black lung disease – Coal miner
Skin diseases – Eczema, Urticaria, Sun burn, contact dermatitis, etc
Person in the habit of indulging in injurious liquors or ailments, Use of narcotic drugs and alcohol as a routine without realising the long term damaging effects.
Those who abstain from balanced diets and eat just few and selected foods or others get onto extreme diet protocol. Some people are too poor to afford balanced diets and simply it what they have in their back garden (most common in rural India). Malnourishment is a major problem in many areas of the world.
Those that live in marshy areas, small closed and conned houses that do not have adequate ventilation. This is so very common in large cities where land and housing is a premium. People live in shanty towns and slums where ventilation, sanitation and space are severely limited.
Those who do not get adequate exercise and exposure to open air and sun shine couch potatoes, busy executives, etc.
Those who are living a life so stressed and overworking with 2-3 different part time jobs, and too much of either physical or mental work and hence are moving towards the “burn out” syndrome.
These are all conditions that give rise to pseudo chronic diseases that could easily disappear once the life style is regularised with enough of rest and exercise, bad habits curtailed and they eat fresh food in a balanced diet.
CLINICAL IMPORTANCE OF PSEUDO CHRONIC DISEASE:-
Until the later part of 20th century, the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the entire world have been epidemic of communicable diseases including typhoid, cholera, small pox, diphtheria, inuenza, etc. Although some of these diseases remain epidemic in third world countries, industrialisation and progressive modernisation of many communities have resulted in major improvements in housing, sanitation, water supply, nutrition, etc.
Discovery and availability of antibiotics as well as vaccines have radically changed the prole of many diseases.But extreme modernisation and rapid urbanisation gave birth to yet another most difficult, long lasting chronic problem known in homoeopathic prevalence “pseudo chronic disease”.
Today the disease burdens have been shifted from the era of “communicable disease to non- communicable disease”. Today, the doctors have to develop a vision to judge a patient from non-communicable disease point of view. It is of high clinical importance. It works as predisposing factors and reduces the immunity of the person there by making them vulnerable, susceptible to allergens, pollutants, infective agents. No bacteria, no pathogen are supposed to enter and implant their foot-hold in the interior of the human anatomy.
Therefore patients are advised to adopt appropriate natural methods of management with natural life style in food habits, environmental condition and even adopting natural system of medication with as far as possible with minimum medication i.e. preferably homoeopathy. It is also one of the reasons of over medication by doctors. It so happen when medicines are prescribed/administer without addressing the portion of non drug substance if these are avoided and people live a healthy life style, provided, however they do not carry the miasmic load in their system. Such diseases cannot be called chronic diseases.
Chronic ill-health is also caused by continued exposure to following avoidable things and acts which are injurious to health that people indulge in unnecessarily, namely:
Addiction, Prolonged abstinence from things, which are essential for sustaining life. Residing in unhealthy dwellings like in marshy lands, in cellars and are confined to dingy places.
Deprived themselves of exercise and open space. Undue exertion of physical and mental capacities. Lead a life, full of worries and anxiety.
These are the things and acts, which people bring unnecessarily upon them and which can disappear on their own, if these are avoided and people live a healthy life style, provided. however, they do not carry the miasmic load in their systern. Such diseases cannot be called chronic diseases and they are being termed wrongly the chronic disediseases do.
Pseudo chronic diseases are basically life style related non- communicable diseases. The epidemic of infectious diseases which ruled and rained the world for over 10 decades with innumerable loss of precious human lives in mid-19th century to mid-20th century were largely been combated with the use of antibiotics of different spectrum.
Today, we are living in an epidemic of non-communicable diseases. It is casting a big shadow in the health and economy of our country.
The basic philosophy behind Hahnemannian concept of pseudo chronic diseases since 250 years ago was crystal clear. His concept was basically chronic disease is of true and false in nature. Pseudo chronic diseases though begin with life-style errors but they could lead to irreversible pathological changes if not corrected in time. For example
Hypertension High blood pressure (with or without high cholesterol), excessive alcohol consumption and use of tobacco, junk food, ýfried and spicy food (High sodium diets – such as wafers, cornflex etc.), obesity and physical inactivity are direct and indirect consequences of modernisation. While these risks and the diseases are highly preventable if taken proper steps otherwise may lead to many terminal illness. Cardio-vascular accidents are one example among tip of the ice-berg. Today almost 30% of the adults of global population are suffering from hypertension.
Hahnemann had advised for a correction of the pseudo chronic disease characters rst, and then followed by anti-miasmatic remedy in every individual case.
Comments on the Aphorism
Diseases inappropriately named chronic/pseudo chronic diseases
Such diseases are wrongly labeled as the chronic diseases in which people are made chronically ill due to following:
continued exposure to avoidable noxious (injurious to health) influences, addiction, over-indulgence in things and acts, which undermine the normal health prolonged abstinence from things which are essential for sustaining life, residing in unhealthy dwellings like in marshy lands, in cellars and are confined to dingy places deprived themselves of exercise and open space undue exertion of physical and mental capacities lead a life, full of worries and anxiety.
These are the things and acts, which people bring unnecessarily upon themselves, which can disappear on their own, if these are avoided and people live a healthy life style, provided, however, they do not carry the miasmic load in their system. Such diseases cannot be called chronic diseases.
Chronic ill-health is also caused by continued exposure to following avoidable things and acts which are injurious to health that people indulge in unnecessarily, namely: Addiction. Prolonged abstinence from things, which are essential for sustaining life. Residing in unhealthy dwellings like in marshy lands, in cellars and are confined to dingy places.
Deprived themselves of exercise and open space. Undue exertion of physical and mental capacities. Lead a life, full of worries and anxiety.
These are the things and acts, which people bring unnecessarily upon them and which can disappear on their own, if these are avoided and people live a healthy life style, provided. however, they do not carry the miasmic load in their systern. Such diseases cannot be called chronic diseases and they are being termed wrongly the chronic diseases.
CONCLUSION:-
The growing health care consciousness among the people and planners both globally and more specifically in India have also shown its impact. The life expectancy of an average Indian has been systematically, but gradually going up. In 1947, during India’s independence days the life expectancy of an average Indian was merely 50 years (fty) only. It has gone up to 64.5 years in 2005, 66.5 years in 2010,67.7 years in 2013 and in 2014 it was 68 years. Japan at present is at the top with 83.6 years in 2014 with 83.3 in 2013.
The improved access to health care facilities and nutritional care has largely contributed. The imposition of strict legal measures yet another mile-stone. The various health awareness programmes and vaccines for different infectious diseases have also started reducing the disease burden. Various health care facilities for the world mothers, infants and children have also contributed a lot. Last but not the least, the growing demand for homoeopathic medicines in India and even abroad is an ample testimony of its role in health care delivery system especially in true chronic diseases, our approach to take care of the pseudo chronic related diseases on an individual typology system maintaining our prescription protocols is the take-home message of this assignme.
Today’s 1st protocol of treatment of any disease which ultimately will decide/lead to the effectiveness of the treatment by medication in preferably low and rational doses otherwise overmedication will automatically occur and there by the chances of appearance of iatrogenic diseases increasing extremely.
Dedicating the alcoholics, smokers, fast food (junk) eaters, with adequate exercise preferably under the morning/evening sun, and adequate supplementation of proper nutrition supplements and others as supportive therapy can provide a “BOOST” to the immune system.
The obstacle to cure (Aphorism 4 of Organon of Medicine) is removed and the path for the small dose of minutest medicine can be allowed to go obstacle-free, hurdle free in the good going to the world of cure.
REFERENCES:-
1. Hahnemann Samuel ;organon of medicine; 5th & 6th edition.B Jain publication.
2. Roberts A herbert MD ; The principles and Art of cure by Homoeopathy.B Jain publishers.
3. Kent Tyler James ; lectures on homoeopathic philosophy.B Jain publishers Pvt.Ltd.
4 Dr.(Prof.) Patro.k.k.c M.D ( Hom) HOD of organon of medicine & Dy.Medical supdt. RBTS Govt.Hom.Medical college & hospital Muzaffarpur ;A new approach to homoeopathy vol 1.
5 Park.K; Parks text book of Preventive and Social Medicine; 23rd edition, Volume -10 | Issue – 4 | April – 2020 | PRINT ISSN No. 2249 – 555X | DOI : 10.36106/ijar.
